Prediction: the USA will shut down again before September, because we'll have no choice not to

[stopbush]

We blew it. We reopened the country way too early. We had made the sacrifice and had made real progress toward slowing the spread of the virus, but we're an impatient lot, and with the tRump humpers desperate to resume swilling their Bud Lite in a bar, it was inevitable that we'd jump early. Now, we're going to pay the price.

Infections are way, way up. The curve looks more like the trajectory of a rocket launch. That's the bad news. The "good" news is that the mortality rate may be lower than it was a couple of months ago, as the bulk of the new cases look to be among the younger generations, and they can better withstand the virus' damaging effects. But as US deaths approach the 200,000 milestone, we're going to realize that the reopen plan did not work, and that it in fact made things worse.

Looking at where we were and where we are today, I see nothing that would lead me to believe we aren't headed for a real shitshow. WHO reported that TODAY was the day with the largest number of new cases of the virus worldwide since it all started. Americans don't want to hear it, they will ignore the truth and engage in their usual self-centered behavior, but we are heading toward another shutdown.

You heard it here first.

[RandySF]

1. That's a given.

[MoonlitKnight]

2. Yep

A replay of February and March.

If only people would have worn masks and exhibited some common sense.

We just blew trillions of dollars for nothing.

[flamingdem]

3. Bad news wise reports are coming in of symptoms returning after weeks

and lack of long term immunity.

Plus, many stories out there now about long term damage to the lungs, kidneys, heart. And yes it happens to young and healthy people too.

It's a real cluster.

[AlexSFCA]

4. virus attacks lungs making it look like honeycomb

this happens in mild cases too, not requiring hospitalization. Impact on lungs is long term. One wouldn’t even know until you do xray but there will be moments when you realize that lungs capacity is diminished long after recovery. Lockdowns won’t work anymore, economy will be in much worse shape in the fall, last thing you wanna do is bankrupting even more small businesses.
If everyone wears masks - chance of transmission is only 1.4%. Mandatory masks nationwide will reduce transmission by >10 fold. Plus, I am hoping we’ll get same day testing by september where every person would be tested every 7 days as mandatory requirement.

[stopbush]

14. Small businesses will go bankrupt because they won't have customers.

When the government shut down the economy they provided small businesses with money to keep going, loans that can be forgiven if certain benchmarks are met. The government is going to have to step in with those kinds of incentives again - including more support for the unemployed - or the economy is really going to crash. Better to run up trillions in debt on the national credit card than to risk a depression.

And if the government has to provide that kind of financial support they better damn well impose a real shutdown to slow the spread of the virus. Allowing businesses to stay open, acting as centers to spread the virus while also giving them trillions in financial assistance, would be the height of stupidity. The money should be given foremost to slow the virus, with the businesses' survival being a welcome side benefit. Same thing with unemployment benefits - the Feds should continue the $600-a-week in benefits through the end of the year. It's the fastest and most-effective way to pump money into the economy while at the same time keeping people in their homes and out of the bankruptcy/eviction courts.

[PufPuf23]

5. Don't think one could understate just how much we are at risk.

Shit show is an apt description.

We have little protection against any individual, institution, or other agency that sees a path to take advantage of the chaos.

What if major natural disaster occurs?

What if another militarized nation decides now is a good time to run us out of their region?

The economy will get worse.

The pandemic mismanaged. Health care institutions weakened, some deliberately. Many people stuck on stupid (or just hopeless) and encouraged to be so by much "leadership" and media.

And so on. Not to be alarmist or anything.

[Drunken Irishman]

6. It's not just that we reopened too early. We didnt properly shut down the first time.

[Luz]

15. +1

[wackadoo wabbit]

16. Exactly this (n/t)

[2naSalit]

23. +1

I've been isolating since early March, expect to still be isolating this time next year because of stupidity and lust for power.

[RockRaven]

7. Prediction: no we won't, and the deaths and permanent disability will permanently

change (in a detrimental way) our country, our economy, and our position in the world.

Why do I think that? Well, the same people mismanaging things for the last 6 months will still be in charge in September.

[BigmanPigman]

11. I tend to agree.

The most team tRump would ever do is require masks and he won't even do that. People don't change and he is stubborn as Hell.

[live love laugh]

17. Agree. Nothing changes if nothing changes. nt

[SheltieLover]

8. Memphis is reverting to Stage 1

So there you go. Happening already.

Yet, they are insisting on reopening schools in August. 😳🤯🙄

[CountAllVotes]

9. SHELTER IN PLACE

That was flashing across the TV here in NW Calif. earlier.

I've never seen that before, NEVER.

Shelter in Place = do not go out!

And yes, this is some scary shit alright!

[no matrix]

20. You are responsible for your own health

I was sick last year from January to May with stomach issues. I couldn't leave sight of a bathroom.
I ran a very low fever, if any. I had every procedure and test with only speculative guesses from elevated lab readings.
The only reason I was admitted to the hospital was a 104 fever.

I wanted to share what my hospital doctor told me at my discharge.
"When you leave this hospital, you are responsible for your own health."

Her husband, was admitted to John Hopkins Hospital going through an almost identical issue with the stomach, after ruling out all the known possibilities.
I used to think, if you were in the medical field, they'd find the answers or know who did.
She told me if this comes back, go to John Hopkins hospital. They will keep looking until there is an answer.
The one I was in, only got me healthy enough to discharge.

I took her advice. So far, it hasn't returned. Since, I've heard about this on the west coast as well.
I watch everything I eat and drink, and don't eat out. I am hyper-vigilant.

I think we will all be very fortunate to live through this pandemic, with people so willing to get infected.
You can get infected even if you are a doctor. So do what they do to stay safe~wear a mask & wash your hands.

Everyday, we learn something new about what this virus is doing to the body in mild cases and in young people.

[stopbush]

29. It's hard to be responsible for your health or anything else

when the government is instituting policies that ignore facts and that work against your being able to be responsible for yourself.

The tRump response to COVID is akin to having an outbreak of food poisoning in the country and deciding that the response to that is to do away with food inspectors.

[gratuitous]

32. Good for you for taking your doctor's advice seriously

Sadly, your doctor and the doctors who specialize in epidemiology have been shunted aside in favor of the Veruca Salt faction of the country. They're the spoiled children who don't want to isolate, don't want to test, and absolutely will not wear a mask! (Insert little foot stomp here.)

As Simon and Garfunkel sang, "Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest." There is an irreducible portion of our country that will listen only to the authorities they want to listen to. They really want to listen to Donald Trump, who doesn't listen to anyone. Trump's scatter-shot self-contradictory word salad spew gives any of his followers the grist to grind to their liking, whether it's not wearing a mask, not socially distancing oneself, or even whether they "believe" there's a pandemic ravaging the country. Something for all the deniers.

Each of us is truly on our own. Under a competent government, the federal government would have shut down practically everything and printed money for people to spend while they were practicing the cheap measures designed to slow if not stop the spread of the virus. But Republicans gotta Republican, and while they didn't have a problem with handing out money to their rich friends (where did that $500 billion Congress authorized get distributed?), they absolutely couldn't feature giving the poors $600 a week, lest they get accustomed to having money to spend. Trump acted like any money the government spent was coming out of his own pocket, rather than being given back to the people who had paid it in.

So, without federal leadership and without the Treasury as a backstop for the states, the states had to open up because their constitutions forbid deficit spending. Businesses opened up too soon, people had no choice but to risk their lives and go back to work because the benefits were being cut off (if they ever received any benefits at all from state unemployment agencies overwhelmed by the millions of applications for benefits).

Meanwhile Trump and the Republicans go merrily on their way, oblivious to the carnage and blaming everyone but themselves for the thousands upon thousands dead. Their lethal message is absorbed by their followers, who similarly can't be bothered to take even the most minimal precautions against spreading the virus.

[wnylib]

10. Sometimes I wonder if this is exactly

what Trump wants. Initially his election strategy regarding the pandemic was to deny it existed in order to save the economy.

But a different strategy now that the cat's out of the bag on the pandemic could be to have the nation weakened enough for him to maintain control.

[Wounded Bear]

12. Some states will, but the country won't...

we never shut down properly the first go around.

Trump just doubles down on his fuckups. We have to muddle through until Jan.

[cstanleytech]

13. I doubt we will shut down again as the horse is out of the barn.

Best we can do is try to take as many precautions as possible to try and avoid contracting the virus.

[Awsi Dooger]

18. It will only happen if Trump decides it is the only way to remain in power

Shut down everything, including the post office.

I don't put it past him. This guy will never go down while allowing any semblance of a normal election. That's why he's warning about fraudulent mail ballots right now. In 2016 it wasn't until the final month or so that he started crying about a rigged election.

[Buckeyeblue]

19. It's summer--people will not go for another shut down

Best thing to do is wear a mask out, keep outings to a minimum. If you socialize do it outside.

There is going to be our new normal.

[duforsure]

21. I think trump will again ignore the outbreaks

But he'll realize its a lot worse after its too late, then do his greatest excuses bit on us again , which no one will believe , and make the landslide against him and all Republicans even worse, and it will be the greatest political loss this country has ever seen, and the greatest loss of American lives from a presidents failures we've ever seen. trumps present strategy is failing so bad people are running from him in larger numbers, and will get worse as more gets exposed on trump, and a lot more deaths continue to happen under failure trump. The trump depression is coming next.

[Sherman A1]

22. I think it will be a little later

And generally uneven shutdowns, but by the time cooler weather arrives it will certainly be so.

[lapfog_1]

24. Aug 1...

Many states will close down again.

[DFW]

25. Sheeee-IT, man, I hope not

I am planning to go to the USA from July 4th til August 16th.

What they do after that is their business.

[edhopper]

26. Nope

The Red State Governors have already decided no level of COVID death is not acceptable. And Trump is done with this. He will continue to push for a complete reopen economy.

[LastDemocratInSC]

27. My wife is an ICU nurse in a large hospital system and treats Covid-19 patients.

The planning teams in her hospital are assuming another stay-at-home period of 8 to 10 weeks, more if necessary, with a 100% mask use when away from home. And 100% mask use for an undetermined period when stay-at-home starts being relaxed.

We will get one more chance to get this crisis fixed in a way that let's everyone "get back to normal". The costs of stay-at-home will be enormous, obviously, but if we fail the second time our nation will be permanently injured and that will be the new normal for some time.

[Initech]

28. Trump will never allow it.

We're basically on our own while he's still president. Doesn't matter how many people will die or get infected. It's all about the economy.

[SoonerPride]

30. trump has no say in the matter

but I suspect most states won't shut down no matter how bad it gets because governors will be loathe to do it.

[stopbush]

31. Well, things have certainly moved forward since I posted this yesterday.

States shutting back down, states quarantining people from other states, the EU looking to ban travelers from the USA.

Yep. We’re headed for another shut down.